bed sores

Nursing Home Falls Are No. 1 Cause of Resident Brain Injuries

Published on: March 4, 2021 | Levin & Perconti

Fall-Related Brain Injuries Go Unnoticed Too Often in Nursing Home Residents

March is Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month. Those who have suffered from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) acquired their irreversible injury due to severe trauma – typically when the head violently hits an object or an object pierces the skull and enters the brain. These brain injuries can be serious for the elderly, especially those with underlying conditions, and require greater assistance with daily living activities, such as long-term care patients and nursing home residents. For this older group, TBI is physically painful and can cause devastating mental and emotional challenges.

Severe skull fractures and TBI are also, unfortunately, the most common fall-related injuries that lead to a decline in an older adult’s health, including death. Ultimately, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, TBI contributes to 20% or about 1,800 nursing home resident deaths each year.

How To Know If Your Loved One Is Malnourished, Dehydrated

Published on: March 2, 2021 | Levin & Perconti

March is National Nutrition Month – Nursing Home Negligence Can Lead to Malnutrition and Dehydration

In long-term care and post-acute care settings, malnutrition is often a result of ongoing neglect by caretakers who do not offer enough food or do not monitor proper nutrient consumption either by the mouth or a feeding device. And although delivering nutritious food, adequate amounts of water, and quality care to these individuals seems like basic necessities all facilities should provide, a staggering 85% of elderly living in nursing home-type environments suffer from malnutrition.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics:

Meadowbrook Nursing Home Is Still Battling COVID-19

Published on: August 6, 2020 | Levin & Perconti

Meadowbrook Manor Reports Another COVID-19 Death, Highest Case Rate in Will County

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reports another COVID-19 death at Meadowbrook Manor in Bolingbrook in Will County. The facility has been home to 41 deaths since the start of the pandemic, with the majority related to an outbreak in May. This is the first death noted since May 29^th.

The facility has the highest number of deaths in Illinois among any other long-term care facility.

Nursing Homes Still Understaffing In Dire Situations

Published on: July 24, 2020 | Levin & Perconti

The Chronic Problems Related to Understaffed Nursing Homes

Deliberate understaffing is a common practice in nursing homes across the U.S., and especially here in Illinois, where nearly 70% of all long-term care networks are for-profit owned. When facilities are privately owned and operated, owners become more concerned about profits than having the right amount of staff available to provide quality patient care. According to a 2018-2019 report prepared by the Department of Health and Human Services, an incredible 90% of U.S. facilities are understaffed. The findings were documented by evidence through payroll records that showed nursing homes were underreporting staffing challenges.

Worker shortages contribute to nursing home struggles that sometimes lead to preventable hospitalizations, injuries, or deaths. Risky cost-cutting measures and unethical practices are creating a ripple of adverse effects that nursing home residents ultimately pay for.

Majority of COVID-19 Deaths Are Nursing Homes Residents

Published on: July 23, 2020 | Levin & Perconti

Analysis of COVID-19 Long-Term Care Deaths in 17 Countries

The Canadian Institute for Health Information performed an analysis using data collected (report as of May 25, 2020) from 17 countries to show the similarities and differences between coronavirus pandemic experiences related to long-term care. The review focused on three specific areas of comparison:

COVID-19 outcomes in LTC (cases and deaths)